A few days after being compelled to drive away from Ambala by protesting farmers, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar faced a similar protest in Karnal district on Sunday when irate farmers did not let his helicopter land there.
According to reports the crowd ransacked the stage set for his Kisan Mahapanchayat and damaged the helipad. The police used tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse the rampaging mob which was in no mood to listen to the chief minister. He had to cancel the farmers’ outreach campaign.
Khattar later condemned the incident and blamed the Congress party and Communists for inciting the mob. He reminded the Communists of their fate in Bengal, Russia and China.
He said that this incident will have no impact on the panchayat election. Karnal is the home district of Khattar and the programme was organized by pro-farm laws farmers.
However, the anti-farm laws protestors had previously informed the government that they would stage protest. At about 11:00 AM a large number of farmers gathered at the venue. They broke the barricades and stormed into the ground forcing the police to swing into action.
Later the organisers of the function and police too clashed as they were upset as to why the latter was not able to prevent the protesting farmers from entering into the venue. It needs to be mentioned that on December 22 Khattar faced a similar hostile crowd in Ambala where he had gone to campaign for the civic bodies election. The farmers had then waved black flags and raised slogans against the new farm laws.
Meanwhile the farmers’ protest along the border of Delhi continued for 46th day on Sunday. The inclement weather does not appear to have any impact on them.
